Center, Katherine --Happiness for Beginners informal buddy read starts March 8, 2020

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

This thread is open to discuss Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center.



Synopsis
A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It's supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother's even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can't imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster. Thus begins the strangest adventure of Helen's well-behaved life: three weeks in the remotest wilderness of a mountain range in Wyoming where she will survive mosquito infestations, a surprise summer blizzard, and a group of sorority girls.

Yet, despite everything, the vast wilderness has a way of making Helen's own little life seem bigger, too. And, somehow the people who annoy her the most start teaching her the very things she needs to learn. Like how to stand up for herself. And how being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes you just have to get really, really lost before you can even have a hope of being found

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

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[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

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[Brooke]

I like the wilderness setting for this one. See ya next week! ;-)

[Laura]

I do too! See you Monday!

[Geri]

I was able to borrow this from the library. Mind if I crash your buddy read? LOL

[Laura]

Haha, not at all! I should have asked if anyone else wanted to join us. My bad...
I was a little flustered last night as I let my dog out to do her business and she didnt come back immediately. It was cold, snowing/ice pellets and just miserable. After several trips outside in my pjs looking for her she finally came back. She doesnt normally run off and we keep a closer eye on her but last night we were distracted by high school course selection:-(

[Brooke]

Laura wrote: "Haha, not at all! I should have asked if anyone else wanted to join us. My bad...
I was a little flustered last night as I let my dog out to do her business and she didnt come back immediately. It..."

That's scary! Glad she came back, but I know how stressful things were before she did.

[Geri]

Yes, so happy she wasn’t gone long!

[Geri]

Well, I read through chapter 10. Halfway through the book. I need to have the book done by the 12th for a challenge. Sorry if I am speeding through too quickly for everyone else! But I’ll be around until everybody has finished.

I can tell this is an early book by Center. The book starts off without much background. (view spoiler)[ The romance is pretty surface-y. But there is some funny banter. Their age difference is a big deal to Helen, but it doesn’t concern me. Once most people get to a certain age, it really is just a number, to me anyway. The conflict between them does feel contrived and a little immature.

I am finding the hiking guide funny. And the situations are interesting. Ultimately, this will hopefully be a learning lessons for Helen and Jake.

In chapter 8, they talk about poor Pickles, the dog. Gosh, I felt so bad! I know you guys will probably have a thing or two to say about that! (hide spoiler)]

[Laura]

I finished chapter 13
(view spoiler)[
I'm enjoying the trek in the wilderness. I'm not sure if I could do it or not. My map reading skills aren't the best- though I can find North on a map and find the North star in the sky.

At times Helen drives me crazy because she likes Jake but she won't tell him. Other times I like her because as the underdog she adjusted to the wilderness, was calm and took over as a leader when Hugh got hurt and tried to find happiness in what she was doing.

Agree that their relationship is surface-y. I also think their conflict is immature- but I feel that is on Helen's part.

Beckett drove me crazy but I am liking him more and more. I 'm unsure if Helen will get the certificate because I think those college kids are still at the point in their lives where everything is a popularity contest so it seems unlikely that they will pick her.

Poor Pickles- it sounds like she was abused. She already likes and trusts Helen if she sleeps on her bed.
(hide spoiler)]

[Geri]

I finished today. The book really grew on me! In a good way. 🙂

(view spoiler)[ In the end, the contrived conflict between Helen and Jake made more sense. Jake’s eye problems and all. It was convenient that Jake revealed nothing was ever going on with Wendy and him. But then again this was a romance. So I allow a certain amount of that sort of thing.

I agree the hiking part of the book was the best part. I did like Bennett from the beginning. Some of the scenes were hilarious. Helen’s nicknames made me laugh. I could see this book making a funny romantic comedy actually. (hide spoiler)]

I’m glad I read this. I did enjoy it. I also really liked Things You Save in a Fire. Anyone interested in reading The Lost Husband? I can get that one from my library too. If so, we could read it next month.

[Brooke]

You're so fast Geri!

I've only gotten through 7 chapters so far. I completely forgot I had a book from the library that was due last night, and I wanted to at least get a few chapters read of You Are Not Alone before the author event this evening. I at least wanted a feel for the tone of the story and plot. :-)

I'm glad to hear this book grew on you, Geri. I'm waiting to read all the spoilers you & Laura have posted, but I do agree that it started a bit abruptly without much background.

Chapters 1-7
(view spoiler)[ I know that Helen and Jake spent 2 whole days together, but I just didn't buy their chemistry. Well, for now at least. And I think a little background on how Helen got to this point in her life would have been nice. There have been moments sprinkled in where she does a flashback thought, but it so far feels a bit disjointed. (hide spoiler)]

I should get to at least the halfway point today, with the hope of finishing tomorrow.

[Brooke]

I'd be up for The Lost Husband sometime in April!

[Geri]

Have a good time at the author event. We want to hear all about it!

[Laura]

I can get The Lost Husband through my inter library loan program but that usually takes some time. I’m headed to the city Sunday or Monday and plan on going to the central library so I’ll look for it there.

Agree, I can’t wait to hear all about the author event.

[Laura]

I finished.
(view spoiler)[
I liked this too but it was my least favorite of all her books I’ve read so far. I enjoyed Helen’s journey. The romance was okay and I did enjoy all the survival stuff.

3 stars :-)
(hide spoiler)]